'The Middle East's answer to Marvel Rivals' is an 'AI-powered', crypto-infused hero shooter that looks like hot garbage
If Farcana is "the Middle East's answer to the acclaimed Marvel Rivals," as its developer claims, I don't see Disney quivering in its boots anytime soon. Developed by 160-person Abu Dhabi-based studio Dizzaract—which apparently makes it the largest game studio in the region—Farcana is a 5v5 hero shooter packing the noxious double whammy of AI and crypto.
"Opposite to traditional hero shooters, Farcana's AI-backed features enhance player experience through adaptive in-game mechanics and an evolving combat environment," a press release announcing its latest playtest reads.
Sounds vague and amorphous, but don't worry, Dizzaract expands on its AI features later on and reveals they're just as silly as you imagined. The full version of Farcana will feature an "AI companion that consists of an in-game AI assistant that provides real-time strategic insights" on your matches, plus an "AI avatar that can represent players in matches against other AI avatars."
OK, let's step into the shoes of that scenario. I'm a shooter fan who already has to deal with actual human teammates belting their unsolicited feedback into my headset, and then a muddy AI voice chimes in with their two cents. I wonder what strategic insights an AI would have to offer the 18th time I get shot in the head. "Have you tried getting good? Perhaps missing fewer shots?"
Honestly, I can see the use case of my own personal Jarvis giving battle tips, if I could realistically trust the advice of a language model—technology famous for getting basic math wrong, hallucinating entire historical events, and making search engines less useful with each passing day. But yeah, sure, tell me which hero I should pick to counter Budziboi.
Oh, you don't know Budziboi? He's one of 24 "Stars," Farcana's name for heroes. It was around this point in my Farcana research that I watched some gameplay and, well, it looks terrible. You've seen slop before: Low-res textures, ugly animations, uninspiring character designs.
Farcana reeks of the kind of crypto nonsense that made 2021 an annoying year to follow videogames, and that's because it is also that. You won't find mention of $FAR, Farcana's official cryptocurrency, anywhere in the press release or on its website, but it's been selling the coin for a while now (the value isn't doing so hot, but the game's also not out yet), prepping for full ownership of its in-game items.
That's according to the vision of Dizzaract founder and CEO Ilman Shazhaev, "crypto entrepreneur" and true believer in videogames as a nexus point for the future of decentralized, speculative entertainment.
"In-game economies, powered by AI, will be as dynamic and complex as real-world markets. These games will transcend entertainment, becoming cultural movements where players act as evangelists, with AI-powered avatars serving as extensions of their digital identities," Shazhaev recently said in a bizarrely straightfaced GamesBeat profile.
"2025 marks the beginning of what we call the ‘AI Supercycle’ in gaming. We’re moving beyond scripted events to create living worlds where AI agents adapt to players’ decisions and even emotions in real time."
I'm not sure how a bog-standard hero shooter with a chat bot "moves beyond scripted events" any more than, say, Overwatch, but it's not worth trying to apply logic to tech bro babble in 2025. At least the Web3 part of Dizzaract's operation explains why the Farcana playtest kicking off today is only available on the Epic Games Store. Steam still isn't having any of that crap, but Tim Sweeney's store is an all-inclusive toilet.
